This is not music criticism. On this blog, you will only read about music we like.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Tomorrows Tulips - When

When, the latest album from Costa Mesa, California's Tomorrows Tulips, is raw and lo-fi, with a '90s fuzz rock core and hints of glam and slow rock. At times is sounds like a recently discovered trove of acoustic demos from the Velvet Underground or The Jesus and Mary Chain. Perhaps the vibe could be called 'garage rock on codeine'. I'm not going to pretend that everyone will read that description and exclaim "oh goody, that's for me". It is, however, something I like. The guitar tones are just right, and for me the album appealingly matches raw emotions with a raw sound.

The album begins with "Baby", a 1:11 garage glam burst. The following "Surplus Store" is a throbbing mid-tempo song that manages to bounce along while creating a bummer atmosphere. "Laying in the Sun" dials down proceedings another notch at the beginning, but offers a pleasing vocal hook. Then it turns electric before returning to acoustic, while remaining languid. Following tracks include rumbling lo-fi electric songs (for example, "When") and atmospheric acoustic tunes. Some songs, such as "Favorite Episode", offer both. For my tastes, "I Lay in My Bed" and "Glued to You", and "Plan It Peace" work the best, perhaps because they all remind me of TJAMC's The Power of Negative Thinking. Tomorrows Tulips doesn't invent anything here, and their songs won't change your world. And of course, it was never their intent to do so. But I expect that they made the songs they wanted to make, and I'm happy to have them. For me, after the opening track, the second half of the album is better than the first, but your experience may not be the same.

When was released on October 7 via Burger Records in the US, Strange Yonder in Australia and Ayo Silver in Europe.

Here are videos for "Baby" (NSFW) and "Glued to You" (NSFW), and the steams for "Glued to You" and "Papers by the TV" --